BRISBANE'S lord mayor hopes a Beatles cover song and a sexy television advertisement can boost the city's flood recovery and lure back Australian and international visitors.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk launched the Together Brisbane marketing campaign today, promoting the message that Brisbane is open for business following January's floods.

The floods stripped $3 billion from the city's economy. The marketing campaign is based around a cover version of The Beatles 60s hit song Come Together.

Do you think the ad will be effective? Post your comment at the bottom of the story.

Brisbane bands the Hungry Kids of Hungary and Ball Park Music were commissioned to record a uniquely Queensland version of the song.

They performed it live at the launch at Brisbane's King George Square, after the rain eased.

Mr Quirk said the Queensland song version was special.

"It's a fantastic song and it will really add to the catchiness of this campaign; it's upbeat, it's energetic," Mr Quirk said.

"It's what Brisbane is about and it showcases the same energy from that great Brisbane mud army effort that occurred in January following the floods," he said.

Some of Brisbane's hardest-hit flood locations are featured in the television advertisement, including Rocklea Markets, Suncorp Stadium, Rosalie's cafe strip, Eagle Street Pier and the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA).

Print, radio and television media companies have signed up to provide $3 million worth of pro bono advertising time and space, Mr Quirk said.

He said the television advertisement was "sexy and vibrant".

"Let's have a sexy campaign if that's what it takes,'' he said.

"This is about telling Australia and the world that we're ... open for business."

Mr Quirk refused to say how much the song rights cost but admitted it was in the thousands of dollars.

"The cost of the song was inexpensive, it was part of the budget we already had set for Brisbane marketing," he said.

He said residents had the opportunity to participate in the campaign by creating their own ads, and uploading them on the campaign's website www.togetherbrisbane.com.au and social media sites.

The new recovery website comes as the Brisbane City Council shuts down the Our Brisbane site as a cost-cutting measure because it was running at a loss.

"The reality is we've had a massive flood and we have to find dollars to get the recovery going," he said.

"There's nothing on that site that can't be accommodated in other sites we have."

In March, the Nothing Beats Queensland campaign began, aimed at reversing the fortunes of the state's ailing tourism industry.

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Comments on this story

Andrew of Queensland Posted at 8:43 PM April 20, 2011

I think most Australians know Queensland is 'open for business'. Save the money and give some people who lost a lot during the floods more help instead of lining the pockets of advertising executives.

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